On the Inside; On the Outside


 
Dec 10 2015
Love0

Fear Not, I Will Help You

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

fear_not_2013_11_14-23While in deacon formation, one of our final steps before ordination was to meet with the diaconate board for final approval. The board was made up of both clergy and lay people and their primary responsibility was to make sure that we were prepared for ordained service to God’s people. I guess you could compare this to a final job interview – that lasted for more than four years.

The pressure was on, and I was feeling it. As I had mentioned before, I am a worrier, so this was an extremely stressful event in my life. We had a specified time to be there, so while I was waiting with my classmates, I felt pretty good about it all. One of my classmates emerged from his interview and stated that it was not so bad. But then another came out and said that it was a brutal experience. (They had two different groups interviewing us.) My stress level shot through the roof! I was feeling sick to my stomach, and apparently I was looking quite pale. Read More

Dec 09 2015
Love0

The Knots of Life

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With yesterday being the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I’ve been thinking a lot about Mary. Every year, I’m blown away by Mary’s faith when she said “yes” to God. Especially as a young teenager, I can only imagine what her faith was like. Read More

Nov 29 2015
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Here I Am, Lord

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Last weekend, my wife Stephanie and I along with our pastor took a group of 11 teens to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. Today, I wanted to share with you our experience of this powerful three day pilgrimage. Read More

Nov 12 2015
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Is God Really Here?

Posted by | Everyday Life | 2 Comments

Is God really in our midst or not? Is God really here among us right now? Sometimes, we ask these questions in moments of great distress when we have suffered some terrible tragedy or we have fallen away from God in some way. We wonder, is God really with us? Read More

Oct 29 2015
Love0

I Am So Stressed (Blessed)!

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I am so stressed! I am stressed out beyond belief! In fact, if stress burned calories, I’d be a supermodel. I am being bombarded from so many different directions that it’s beginning to take a toll on me mentally and physically. I am in the midst of moving my mother out of her home into a smaller place; my daily job has been insanely busy and hectic; the band that I play in has been working every single weekend; my responsibilities at church have been steadily increasing; and family and household obligations are thrown into the mix as well. It just doesn’t seem to stop. I am running nonstop. I am so stressed! Read More

Oct 15 2015
Love0

Our God is Amazing!

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20150915_105137About three weeks ago, Stephanie and I returned from a well-needed (and deserved) vacation in the Canadian Rockies. We spent about 10 days hiking, sightseeing, and taking in the beautiful scenery. Some people say that’s it’s the most beautiful place in the world. I can’t really speak to that, but I will say that it felt like I was standing in a painting that was created by God’s fingertips. It was truly amazing, and I couldn’t stop thinking the entire time we were there of how great and glorious our God is. Read More

Oct 01 2015
Love0

Lifting Your Little Foot

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Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. At the age of 14, on Christmas Eve in 1886, Thérèse had a conversion that transformed her life. From then on, her powerful energy and sensitive spirit were turned toward love, instead of keeping herself happy. At age 15, she entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux to give her whole life to God. She took the religious name Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. We know her better as “The Little Flower.” Living a life of humility, simplicity, and prayer, she was gifted with great intimacy with God. Through sickness and dark nights of doubt and fear, she remained faithful to God, rooted in His merciful love. After a long struggle with tuberculosis, she died on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24. Her last words were the story of her life: “My God, I love You!” Read More

Sep 10 2015
Love0

A Parable on Modern Life

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A Parable on Modern Life (adapted from The Song of the Bird by Anthony de Mello S.J.)

clock2The animals met in assembly and began to complain that humans were always taking things away from them. “They take my milk,” said the cow. “They take my eggs,” said the hen. “They take my flesh for bacon,” said the hog. “They hunt me for my oil,” said the whale. The snail was the last to speak. “I have something they would certainly take away from me if they could. Something they want more than anything else. I have time.”

You have all the time in the world if you would give it to yourself. What’s stopping you? What obstacles are preventing you from living in the present? What activities are taking up your time? Are these activities truly necessary? Are these activities life-giving or life-taking?

We constantly find ourselves searching to find more time to do the things that we think we should be doing. Perhaps we need to start thinking about how we can better spend our time doing the things that God wants us to do. Spend some time today in prayer and ask God to enlighten your mind in order to make better use of your time and to discover those things that are truly important in life. You’ll be amazed of how this changes your perspective of modern life.

“If you want to have the time of your life, change how you use the time in your life.” ~ Tim Fargo

Sep 03 2015
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Back to School Time

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Photo Credit: musicpsychology.co.uk

Photo Credit: musicpsychology.co.uk

It’s September, and while the leaves begin to prepare to depart from the security of its tree branches, so our children begin to depart from their families back to school. Summer is officially over, at least according to the school calendar. So as all of our children begin to form new routines and practices, I wanted to share a prayer that has been attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas. Please pass this on to any student that you know so that it can help them in their studies this year.

Prayer Before Study

Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator,
true source of light and fountain of wisdom!

Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect,
dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance.
Grant me a penetrating mind to understand,
a retentive memory, method and ease in learning,
the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself.

Guide the beginning of my work,
direct its progress,
and bring it to successful completion.

This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man,
living and reigning with you and the Father, forever and ever.
Amen.